So, we’ve been here for a week now and covered most of the core city. We seem to need groceries daily as our fridge is behaving badly but it gives us a chance to do a tour on our way to the supermarket and the bakery. And we usually need to carefully time our walks between rain showers and or thunderstorms as it is still the rainy season.
The cobblestone streets are narrow but not as much as the ones in Spain. There are lots of churches though just like back in the old country and the architecture, while not as grandiose, is still pretty impressive. What’s left standing that is. Almost all the large edifices have some sort of earthquake damage and rebuilding them seems to be a permanent work project. No castles here though. Being the only invading force, I suppose they didn’t need to build any. And there are no high-rise buildings either for obvious reasons. In fact, there are no modern buildings at all. In Spain, you could always find a modern downtown core. Not here. It truly does look a like a place built several hundred years ago. Everything that is modern is built inside the centuries old 1 or 2 story buildings and you wouldn’t know unless you went inside. Restaurants, stores, pharmacies, clinics, juice bars, and trendy gyms all look from the outside like they were built in the 18th century.
What’s also noticeable here is the gulf between the haves and the have nots. As in most of central America, there are many poor people. We are told that the crime rate is high, but we haven’t seen anything directly and we don’t wander around after midnight anyway. The evidence is all around however. All the buildings have iron grates over the windows. All of them. And an awful lot have razor wire or glass shards on the tops of the walls, security cameras, and alarm systems, so I guess some of the modern age has crept in. Obviously, there is a lot of theft and property crime and passenger vehicles aren’t immune either. Almost all have black tinted windows. We’re told that this is to stop potential thieves or road banditos from checking you out and seeing what’s inside. They’ll apparently rob you for just your cell phone.
And then there’s the buses. They careen around the streets belching smoke, packed with people, and are the most decorative looking vehicles you’ll see anywhere. Walking around town, you need to pay attention, ‘cause they don’t slow down for pedestrians. They look like something out of Mad Max with a lot more color and less weaponry. We haven’t gotten on one yet as we have no idea where they go, what the fare scheme is, and we can’t seem to find bus schedule or route information. I’m sure we could find someone to explain the system, but it all just looks kind of random.
Chaos is the word that comes to mind I suppose, but it works for the most part and it’s what Guatemala is like in general. The people, the land, and the weather blend together, creating a colorful, charismatic, and chaotic tapestry that’s often beautiful but sometimes violent Just like the lightning and pelting rain that’s coming down right now.
The Canadian government has issued a travel advisory for Guatemala with a warning to not approach or photograph children and women. Teresa has followed this as much as possible, but there are always people around so it’s hard to not have anyone in the pictures. . . in the photo above, this young guy walked right into her shot and gave her a peace sign.
